Theodore Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center June 17, 2010


Image by Deepwater Horizon Response
THEODORE, Ala. – An oiled gannet is cleaned at the Theodore Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center June 17, 2010. The center in Theodore is one of four wildlife rehabilitation centers established in support of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. U.S. Coast Guard photo Petty Officer 3rd Class Colin White.

By Martin Vaughan A Senate bill promoted as a boon to small businesses includes significant tax benefits for large companies, too.The costliest provision in the bill is a tax break for companies that make large capital purchases, including airlines and telecommunications firms.The “bonus depreciation” tax break expired at the beginning of this year, and the bill would extend it for equipment purchased in 2010, permitting firms to write off 50% of the cost of equipment this tax year, rather than over a longer period.The provision would reduce federal revenue by .5 billion over the next 10 years.Small businesses are less likely to benefit from bonus depreciation, because they can already write off 100% of equipment costs up to 0,000. The Senate bill proposes to increase that limit to 0,000.”A really large firm, or medium-sized firm will be more interested in bonus depreciation,” said Alan Viard, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.Still, small businesses could benefit. Purchases of heavy equipment such as might be used by a farm or a tool-and-die shop could exceed the expensing limits for small businesses.Senate Democratic leaders are trying to bring the .5 billion bill to a final vote this week. So far they have been unable to resolve differences with Republicans on what amendments should be allowed, preventing the bill from going forward.Mr. Obama and congressional Democrats have put small-business proposals at the center of their efforts to revive a still-sluggish economy. The package is one of a handful of initiatives that still have a chance of being completed before November’s elections.”We need to keep investing in our small businesses,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday during a stop at Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, N.J. “America has always been a place where if you’ve had a good idea…you can see it through and you can succeed.”At the same time, trade associations for large U.S. companies successfully lobbied for several proposals to be included in the bill. One provision would help large life insurers.It would allow individuals to split tax-deferred annuities in two. That would allow them to begin receiving annuity payments on part of their savings while not losing the benefits of tax deferral on the rest.The feature would make annuities marketed by life insurers more attractive to consumers. “It will make it easier for a lot of annuity owners to access lifetime income while continuing to build their nest eggs,” said Frank Keating, president and chief executive of the American Council of Life Insurers, in a written statement.The provision itself is attractive to lawmakers because it raises revenue in the short term, providing nearly billion to help offset the cost of other items.The bill would also provide cellphone-service providers, including Verizon Communications Inc., a change they have sought, simplifying the tax treatment of employer-provided cellphones. The provision would clarify that cellphones aren’t a taxable fringe benefit. That would also help small businesses by eliminating the need to keep detailed call logs of employee’s phone use.”Congress is doing the right thing by doing away with this anachronism,” said David Fish, a Verizon spokesman. “Employer-issued wireless devices are no longer luxury fringe benefits, they’re important business tools.”In addition, the bill includes more than a dozen tax breaks tailored specifically to small firms.”There is a lot in the bill that will be helpful,” said Bill Rys, tax counsel for the National Federation of Independent Business. He mentioned specifically the higher limits for small business expensing, and a proposal to give self-employed people the same tax breaks for health insurance that employees now receive.As proposed by Mr. Obama, the bill would eliminate capital-gains taxes on the sale of certain small business stock. The bill would also increase Small Business Administration loan limits and provide billion in loans to community banks for small-business lending. Write to Martin Vaughan at martin.vaughan@dowjones.com
WSJ.com: Small Business

In other news:
Oil prices jump on weak dollar
World oil prices jumped on the back of a weaker dollar and positive European data.
Read more on BigPond News

Q & A:
Question by Hello: Oil…….?
Examine both Russia and China – Russia as a non-OPEC oil producer and China as a rising consumer of energy. What are the international implications of this?

Best answer:

Answer by texanweazel
…uh, that Russia won’t have to kiss the arab tail and China better start puckering up?

Give your answer to this question below!

Theodore Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Center June 17, 2010 is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico June 19, 2010


Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video
NASA image acquired June 19, 2010

To see a close up detail of this image go to: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4721299117

On Saturday, June 19, 2010, oil spread northeast from the leaking Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil appears as a maze of silvery-gray ribbons in this photo-like image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite.

The location of the leaking well is marked with a white dot. North of the well, a spot of black may be smoke; reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say that oil and gas continue to be captured and burned as part of the emergency response efforts.

The large image provided above is at MODIS’ maximum spatial resolution (level of detail). Twice-daily images of the Gulf of Mexico are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team in additional resolutions and formats, including a georeferenced version that can be used in Google Earth.

NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey. earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

Instrument: Terra – MODIS

NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation’s largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

By Colleen DeBaise
Adapted from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL COMPLETE SMALL BUSINESS GUIDEBOOK (Three Rivers Press).

My business, in operation for more than eight years, has been slow lately. There is little cash flow and debts are past due. Unsecured credit cards and business lines are up to their limits. Basically, we can’t afford to pay our bills. Will I be held personally liable for the debts and liabilities of the company? Will this affect my personal credit? What are the consequences of filing bankruptcy?
These questions that I received from a reader illustrate probably the most painful position that you can find yourself in as a business owner: Not only has business ground to a halt, but you’re deeply in debt, too. Your first course of action, of course, is to try some of the cash-crunch strategies outlined in last week’s tip (see related article, “Tips for Dealing with Cash Crunches”). If creditors are circling, you may want to consider using the services of a debtturnaround firm. While they charge a fee, turnaround specialists can help get creditors off your back and assist you in liquidating inventory, selling parts of a business (if applicable) and cutting staff. The alternatives aren’t pretty. Can you be held personally liable for debts and liabilities of your company? Most likely yes. Credit-card companies, for instance, typically issue cards (even business credit cards) based on the owner’s personal credit and require the owner to assume personal liability. As for bankruptcy, it’s painful, messy, expensive—and generally should only be used when all other options have been exhausted. Consult an attorney familiar with small-business bankruptcies to figure out whether this is the best choice for you and which direction to take. In some cases, it might make sense to file separate bankruptcy cases—one for the business and one for yourself as an individual. The two most commonly used business bankruptcy proceedings are Chapter 7 and Chapter 11. If you’ve decided to shut your doors forever, you might consider a Chapter 7 filing, in which you turn your business over to a court-appointed trustee, who will then sell the assets and distribute the cash to your creditors. If you’re hopeful that you may survive this downturn, at least enough to have a business left to sell, you might consider seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. When you file this type of petition, you come up with a reorganization plan (under the direction of a court-appointed trustee) to repay outstanding debts and continue to operate as a business. In most cases, unless you have personal means, you’ll need to obtain debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to keep the business afloat while in bankruptcy court. In recent years, with credit tight, many struggling businesses have been unable to file for Chapter 11 because they can’t obtain DIP financing. In general, it certainly isn’t easy to salvage a business through a Chapter 11 filing, and many business owners who try wind up converting to a Chapter 7 liquidation. Write to Colleen DeBaise at colleen.debaise@wsj.com
WSJ.com: Small Business

In other news:
Oil prices flat
Oil prices were little changed on Monday as investors mulled expectations of an inventory decline in the United States.
Read more on Brisbane Times

Q & A:
Question by Live.Laugh.Grow: Oil!!!!!!!!!?
What to deal with FIRST my oily skin (face) or my oily hair? when i wake up i am covered in oil on my face. well not covered but very shiny, discussing and oily to the point were it’s too much oil to be healthy. suggestions, tips, home recipes?? anything!!!!
well maybe i over reacted a little…. Its just when i wash my hair people notice….

Best answer:

Answer by Grace
Wash your hair and face before you go to bed. This should help.

What do you think? Answer below!

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico June 19, 2010 is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico June 26, 2010 [Close up]


Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video
NASA image captured June 26, 2010

NASA’s Aqua satellite flew over the Gulf of Mexico on June 26 at 19:05 UTC (3:05 p.m. EDT) and the satellite’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured an image of the thickest part of the oil slick.

To see the full frame go to: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4736680633

To learn more go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oil-creep.html

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation’s largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

By Ian Sherr
Apple Inc. is boosting efforts to appeal to a new type of customer: small businesses. The consumer electronics giant responsible for the iPhone is seeking to hire engineers in as many as a dozen U.S. retail stores to put together Apple-based computer systems for small businesses, according to recent job postings on Apple’s website. The employees would implement computer systems for clients and are expected to be proficient in networking hardware and server platforms.”Thousands of businesses run on Apple products,” the posting reads. “Many more would like to, and that’s where you come in.” The new positions mark the latest development in Apple’s evolving strategy, which has historically focused on the consumer market and niche businesses, like design and media firms. Now, Apple wants to leverage its popular iPhone and iPad devices, using their appeal as a selling point for more expensive products, including its line of Macintosh computers and servers. (See related article on C10.)Apple is targeting smaller, local businesses that it can reach through its chain of nearly 300 retail stores, according to two Apple employees familiar with the company’s strategy. The new jobs could pay up to ,000 a year, one of them said.Each of Apple’s stores already has at least one salesman dedicated to managing accounts with local businesses, the employees said. Recently, Apple also began recruiting from within the sales staff to create a specialized team that negotiates leasing and pricing terms for business customers, one of the people said. Some stores have seen revenue more than double after implementing the program, the person added. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. The focus on smaller businesses is unlikely to push Apple into further competition with big computer makers like Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., though it could upset its network of authorized consultants, who often serve local businesses. Targeting smaller businesses could prove lucrative. North American businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees are expected to spend 0.8 billion on information technology this year, according to industry tracker Gartner. The figure is seen rising roughly 6% to 8.3 billion next year. Capturing part of those sales could boost Apple’s annual revenue, which is expected to grow 46% to .6 billion this year, according to consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters. “They’re well aware of the opportunities in business,” said Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall. “This is something they’re focusing on even if they’re not talking about it publicly.”Apple has had mixed results trying to crack the business market in the past. Its computers are generally more expensive than comparable PCs, prompting cost-conscious companies to look for cheaper alternatives.Apple’s retail staff historically hasn’t provided the hand-holding and on-site support that many businesses expect. Instead, it has cultivated a network of authorized consultants, many of whose customers are referrals from Apple’s retail employees. “Almost half of our new customers come from the Apple Store,” said Allen Cleaton, owner of Virginia-based MacPro Solutions. He said local businesses often come to him because Apple’s staff generally don’t have the level of technical expertise needed to set up and maintain a businesses computer network.However, Mr. Cleaton said that if Apple starts providing a higher level of service, it could threaten local companies like his own. The Apple employees familiar with the new position said it was a natural progression of recent initiatives. Apple maintains a team at its headquarters to handle big companies and government agencies, but it has increasingly handed responsibility for small and mid-sized business accounts to its retail stores, the people said. Apple has put an incentive program in place to manage the growth of these new business initiatives, they said, assigning new business sales staff based on revenue targets for each store. Apple also has designed specialized conference rooms in its newer retail stores, like those in Minneapolis and Shanghai, which are specifically meant for meetings between sales staff and high-level business executives. Write to Ian Sherr at ian.sherr@dowjones.com
WSJ.com: Small Business

In other news:
Oil stays above on stocks, Gulf storm
Oil prices held above a barrel Friday in Asia as stock markets rallied and a storm threatened oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more on AP via Yahoo! Finance

Q & A:

Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico June 26, 2010 [Close up] is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

2009 JA Stock Market Challenge 010


Image by Tgalietti

U.S. employment likely contracted for the first time this year in June as thousands of temporary jobs for census workers ended, though private-sector hiring probably picked up, according to a Reuters survey.
CNBC Top News and Analysis

In other news:
Thai Stocks Fit To See Red On Friday
(RTTNews) – The Thai stock market has finished lower now in two straight sessions, ahead of Thursday’s market holiday for the Mid Year’s Closing Day, giving away more than 7 points or 0.9 percent along the way.
Read more on INO News

Q & A:
Question by Cody: With regards to the stock market, what is a “bull market” or bullish investing?
Are there other types of economies, or investment attitudes other than “bullish” ? What kind of person is a “bullish” person ?

Best answer:

Answer by Finance
A bullish market is a market thats going up in value. The opposite is bearish, which is when it goes down.

Give your answer to this question below!

Census Jobs Seen Depressing US Employment in June is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

CNBC Top News and Analysis

In other news:
Varied catalysts for current stock market correction
Weekly Market Recap The U.S. stock market just entered its first correction of 10% since the March 2009 bear market low, according to Barron’s magazine. In the paraphrased words of economist Michael Darda as reported by Barron’s, are we experiencing an aftershock of the 2008 market crisis or are we having a relapse?
Read more on The Phoenix

Q & A:
Question by yellowhummin217: How did the stock market “crash”?
I’m desperately trying to understand the stock market and the Great Depression, so my question is this: What, exactly, is a stock market “crash,” and how did/does it happen? Explain this to me like you would with a mentally retarded first-grader.

Best answer:

Answer by kitz
The illuminati elitists used the Fed.Reserve to do it.Won’t find that in any history books,though.

What do you think? Answer below!

Markets Outlook: June Swoon Strikes on Day One is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

Read more on PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Met-Pro Corporation to Report First Quarter Earnings on June 4 is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

Read more on AFP via Yahoo! News

Nigeria to begin retraining ex-militants in June: official is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

Tommy Schnurmacher Show geraldcelentechannel.blogspot.com http for more : geraldcelentechannel.blogspot.com http

pt 1/3 18 June 2009 Gerald Celente on The Tommy Schnurmacher Show is a post from: squeezeApenny.com

trade-technicals.blogspot.com TABLE OF CONTENTS 0 S&P 500 6:44 MOVING AVERAGE CHARTS 11:05 MOVING AVERAGE DATA 13:31 MYSTERY STOCK 16:30 FINANCIALS SECTOR (XLF) 18:23 BOND BUBBLE (TLT) 19:55 TSX – TORONTO/CANADA STOCK MARKET 20:53 HANG SENG (CHINA – HONG KONG) INDEX Charts from www.freestockcharts.com … stock market analysis technical bond bubble collapse usa dollar fiat crisis investing day trading economy

Broad Market Index (Week of June 22-26, 2009) is a post from: squeezeApenny.com